Quitting smoking could improve life span among older adults

Smoking cessation among older adults may benefit their life expectancy.

In a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, investigators used data from the Cancer Prevention Study II, 2018 National Health Interview Survey smoking prevalence, 2018 U.S. population census and 2018 U.S. mortality rates to examine the risk of all-cause mortality on the basis of smoking status.

The investigators found that continued smoking continued to reduce the life expectancy compared with those who never smoked. However, adults who quit smoking at the ages of 65 and 75 years gained an average of 1.7 and 0.7 years, respectively, compared with those who continued smoking.

The findings could be integral for clinicians attempting to motivate their patients to stop smoking.

Read more: American Journal of Preventive Medicine

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